The present invention relates generally to vehicular seat belt restraint systems and, more particularly, to an end release type seat belt buckle.
Modernly, virtually all motor vehicles are equipped with some type of passenger restraint system for physically restraining the seat occupant when the vehicle is subjected to high rates of deceleration which may occur, for example, during heavy braking or a collision. As is known, the most common passenger restraint system is a seat belt system having at least one of a lap belt and a shoulder belt, or a combination thereof, that can be withdrawn from a retractor device for releasably latching a tongue plate to an anchored belt buckle.
Conventional belt buckles may be generally classified in two distinct categories, namely, "central release" type buckles and "end release" type buckles. As is known, central release belt buckles have a centrally located push button that must be depressed in opposition to a spring-biased latch mechanism for releasing the tongue plate from latched engagement therewith. Alternatively, end release type belt buckles are commonly provided with a spring-biased release button that must be longitudinally displaced for pivoting a locking pawl from a locked position to a released position for releasing the tongue plate. While end release belt buckles are considered to provide enhanced convenience, they are generally complex mechanisms which are often relatively thick and bulky and are difficult and costly to manufacture and assemble.
Conventional belt buckles may also be provided with an illumination mechanism for illuminating portions thereof. Such illuminated belt buckles allow the occupant to quickly locate the buckle such that the tongue plate can be readily latched or released. Most commonly, the illumination mechanism includes fiber optic strands that extend from a light source remotely disposed within the buckle, conventional light bulbs or light emitting diodes that are disposed adjacent to those portions of the belt buckle to be illuminated. While these types of illumination mechanisms are generally satisfactory for this intended purpose, they are often dim and do not provide a steady source of light to the belt buckle.
In view of the foregoing, the need exists to provide an end release belt buckle having a substantially simplified structure, which is reliable in operation, and yet can be easily manufactured and assembled. It would also be desirable to provide such an end release buckle with an illumination mechanism that sufficiently illuminates selected portions of the release button with a steady stream of light.